Council declares war on illegal flytipping after tonnes of rubbish dumped

Rubbish dumped in Field Lane car park, Batley.

Laura Drysdale

Published:07:00Thursday 22 September 2016

Bin bags full of waste, a bed and sofa and building debris are among tonnes of rubbish which has been dumped close to Batley town centre.

Litter louts have left the waste strewn across Field Lane car park. And as the Reporter Series went to print, the mound of junk was still lingering at the site.

Resident Simon Turner, who lives in Hanging Heaton, said fly-tippers were blighting the area. He said: “It makes the area look appalling and not cared for. Frankly the amount of waste that is getting fly-tipped in Batley town centre is becoming ridiculous.”

He added: “It worries me that Kirklees Council does not seem to have a grip on this sudden increase in fly-tipping.”

It is not known how long the rubbish has been there.

But Mr Turner said he first spotted the pile nearly two weeks ago.

He said: “I would imagine it has accumulated there over several weeks. There is a mixture of builders waste, garden waste and furniture.

He called for action to spruce up the “overgrown” car park, claiming it was “an ideal spot” for dumpers.

Kirklees Council said it was committed to tackling illegal dumping and punishing fly-tippers.

A council spokeswoman said: “The council has visited the site of the fly-tipped waste and has found some evidence to suggest who may be responsible. The council is now taking action to confirm their identity and serve them with a notice to remove the waste.

“The council is committed to reducing fly-tipping by ensuring those responsible are held to account for their actions. When we have possible evidence of a culprit, unless there is a danger to the public, we will delay removing waste until we have fully investigated.”

The fly-tipping comes just months after residents and councillors reported sacks of refuse being dumped at the Batley Bats monument and at Station Road.

It later emerged the council was using the monument as a “temporary pick-up point” where its street cleaners could collect rubbish.

A council spokesman said in June that the collection point had been changed and it was making efforts to determine who else was dumping refuse there, and elsewhere in the town.